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Gujarat Titans know they must be at their absolute best to stop a Rajasthan Royals side playing some of the most explosive cricket of the season, when the two sides meet in a do-or-die Qualifier
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Jannik Sinner said his lack of energy in a stunning French Open loss on Thursday was down to a combination of factors including a long claycourt swing, during which he played and won three successive
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Anthony Gordon will sign for "the next five seasons, until June 30, 2031," Barcelona said in a brief statement. (Reuters) Barcelona confirmed the signing of Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United, for a fee that could rise to 80mn euros ($93mn). Gordon will sign for "the next five seasons, until June 30, 2031," Barcelona said in a brief statement.The 25-year-old left winger netted 17 goals for Newcastle this season, 10 of those in the Champions League, and was the club's top scorer. Gordon, part of England's World Cup squad, bolsters a Barcelona attack losing Polish veteran striker Robert Lewandowski at the end of his contract, and possibly Marcus Rashford after his loan spell from Manchester United. La Liga champions Barcelona still hope to strengthen further in the coming weeks, with Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez linked with a switch to Catalonia, while the club have not ruled out a new move to keep Rashford. After three years of reduced expenditure and with their partially rebuilt Camp Nou stadium reopened, Barca have more economic breathing room within La Liga's strict financial fair play rules than previously. Lewandowski departure and the end of Rashford's loan give Barca margin to spend and other players including Roony Bardghji, Ansi Fati and Marc-Andre ter Stegen may also leave. Gordon's transfer is Newcastle's second largest sale in their history after Liverpool paid £125mn ($168mn) for Alexander Isak last summer. The Premier League side may move for Real Betis winger Ez Abde as a replacement, according to reports. Gordon joined Newcastle from Everton for £45mn in 2023, with the Merseyside club set to receive 15 percent of profits from the winger's departure from St James's Park. Related Story
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Graham Arnold was appointed as Iraq’s coach in May last year to succeed Spaniard Jesus Casas. (AFP) Iraq’s veteran Australian coach Graham Arnold is hoping his team can pull off a shock on their return to the World Cup stage after a remarkable and gruelling journey to this year’s tournament in North America. “The year I’ve been in charge has been crazy and very, very stressful for the players,” Arnold told by phone from Baghdad, shortly before heading to Spain for a pre-tournament training camp. “Every game basically since I’ve been here has been a game of life and death.” That might sound extreme, but Iraq were not just left battling to secure qualification right up until the latest possible moment – their prospects of reaching the finals were also seriously compromised by the war in neighbouring Iran. Arnold, 62, was appointed in May last year to succeed Spaniard Jesus Casas. At that point, the Lions of Mesopotamia were pushing for direct qualification in Asian Group B behind South Korea and Jordan. But on Arnold’s debut, 10-man Iraq lost to the Koreans. They eventually had to win a two-legged play-off against the United Arab Emirates – courtesy of a decisive Amir al-Ammari penalty in the 17th minute of injury time – to progress to an intercontinental play-off in Mexico in March. However, at that time, the US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran left many Iraqi players and staff stranded and scrambling to make the long trip. Changing mentalities “The airspace was shut down in Iraq. I couldn’t get back into Iraq to get my coaching equipment. The players couldn’t get out of Iraq,” Arnold recalls, detailing the 26-hour bus trip they took from Baghdad to Amman in Jordan. “And they got stuck in Jordan for 28 hours because of bombs going off around them and they shut down the airspace. When the boys actually got there, it took 68 hours. One of the first meetings and discussions I had with the players was, OK, with everything that’s going on in the Middle East, are you going to use that as an excuse or motivation?” Iraq defeated Bolivia 2-1 in Monterrey, securing a first World Cup appearance since 1986 after an interminable 21-match qualifying campaign. “The players went through a hell of a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on their shoulders from 46 million people in Iraq to qualify for a World Cup for the first time in 40 years,” said Arnold. “Every one of those games was heartbreak or we survived.” Arnold, who has been splitting his time between Australia and Iraq, insists his team does not lack ability but that his biggest job has been changing mentalities. “What I’ve felt in my time here, is that Iraq is a very negative country, because of all the shit that’s gone on with the wars over the last 30 years – there’s a bit of a negative mentality here, no one likes us, everyone hates us,” he says, referring to the Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003. ‘Shock the world’ This may only be Iraq’s second World Cup, but the country has a footballing pedigree – they won the Asian Cup in 2007 and were semi-finalists in 2015. “I’ve never seen a country so obsessed with football. They have public holidays when Barcelona play Real Madrid,” says the coach. Arnold took his native Australia to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, leading them to the last 16 where they pushed eventual winners Argentina close. Despite the adulation he has received from Iraqis, he says he felt far greater pressure as coach of the Socceroos. “I have the greatest respect for people like Didier Deschamps that has stayed and coached his nation for so long. The pressure of coaching your own nation is crazy because you don’t want to let them down. I feel like I’m more of a football coach now with Iraq than with Australia.” Iraq are in a daunting group at this World Cup, starting against Norway in Boston on June 16 before also playing France and Senegal. So what can they realistically achieve? “We qualified last. If you went through every individual player and every team, and the transfer price of all the players, we would probably be the lowest-ranked at the World Cup,” says Arnold, whose contract expires on July 31. “But it’s a World Cup. Anything can happen. And our boys have a great fighting mentality. It’s 11 versus 11. And if we win our one-versus-one battles, we can shock the world.” Related Story
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Qatar suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland in an international friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin yesterday, as Julen Lopetegui’s side continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Al Annabi were undone by an early Nathan Collins goal in the fifth minute and could not find a response in a contest that saw both sides reduced to 10 men. The match marked the start of the final phase of Qatar’s build-up to the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, where they will make their second successive appearance at the global showpiece. Ireland made a bright start and took the lead after just five minutes when Jack Moylan delivered a dangerous free-kick into the box and captain Collins rose highest to head past goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada. The hosts continued to threaten early on, with Troy Parrott curling narrowly wide, while Qatar struggled to create clear openings despite enjoying more possession as the first half progressed. Akram Afif came closest for the visitors midway through the half after being played through by Yusuf Abdurazzaq, but the striker fired well off target. Qatar gradually settled into the contest and Homam Al Amin, making his 100th international appearance, sent a free-kick over the crossbar from a promising position. The game took a dramatic turn late in the first half when Ireland midfielder Moylan, who had impressed throughout, was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Jassem Gaber in the 43rd minute. The dismissal gave Qatar renewed momentum before the break, but Lopetegui’s side struggled to seriously test Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Lopetegui made five changes shortly after the restart, introducing Almoez Ali, Ahmed Alaaeldin, Karim Boudiaf, Assim Madibo and Mohamed al-Mannai as the coach opted to put 21 players through their paces. Qatar enjoyed more of the ball in the second half but failed to make their pressure count. Edmilson Junior and Alaaeldin both wasted decent opportunities, while Abdulrazzaq saw a deflected effort saved by Kelleher. Ireland, meanwhile, threatened sporadically on the counter and nearly doubled their lead late on when Collins headed across goal, but both Parrott and James Abankwah failed to convert from close range. The friendly became increasingly heated in the closing stages when substitute Almoez Ali was sent off in the 77th minute for shoving Jayson Molumby, reducing Qatar to 10 men as both teams finished a player short. There was also concern for al-Mannai, who was forced off injured only minutes after coming on, with veteran Hassan al-Haydos replacing him late in the match. Qatar will now continue their preparations with a final warm-up match against El Salvador in Los Angeles on June 6. Al Annabi have been drawn in Group B at the World Cup and will open their campaign against Switzerland on June 13 at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium before taking on co-hosts Canada in Vancouver on June 19. Qatar will conclude the group stage against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on June 24.
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Auckland FC goalkeeper Michael Woud got engaged a year ago when he had little inkling he would be in New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley's World Cup plans. Auckland FC goalkeeper Michael Woud has had to put his wedding plans on hold after being selected in New Zealand’s squad for the World Cup, but he says taking part in football’s biggest tournament is not a bad reason to cancel. Woud got engaged a year ago when he had little inkling he would be in coach Darren Bazeley’s World Cup plans and had intended to wed fiancée Zana Renton around the time of the June 11 to July 19 finals in North America. Bazeley confirmed six-cap Woud as his third goalkeeper in the 26-man squad behind Max Crocombe and Alex Paulsen this month. And while Woud might not get to play a minute at the World Cup, he said Renton had signed off on it. “My fiancée was really supportive about it. It’s not a bad thing to cancel your wedding for - it only happens every four years,” the 27-year-old keeper told New Zealand media. “We’ll just do it next year.” Woud takes his place in New Zealand’s squad after a mid-season wobble saw him dropped as starting goalkeeper for Auckland. He was reinstated almost immediately when the man who replaced him, Oliver Sail, suffered a knee injury in January and was ruled out of the rest of the A-League season as well as World Cup contention. Woud grabbed his second chance with both hands and ended up playing a key role in Auckland winning their first A-League championship. After making the only save in a penalty shootout in a playoff win over Melbourne City, Woud kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 Grand Final victory over Sydney FC last weekend to help Auckland become the first New Zealand team to win the Australian top flight. Woud is comfortable with his task at the World Cup where he will more than likely be the goalkeeping equivalent of a bridesmaid. “I think my role is quite clear,” he said. “Being the number three goalkeeper and being a support for the other goalkeepers and if I was called upon, to do my best.” New Zealand, the lowest-ranked team among 48 nations at the World Cup, play Iran, Egypt and Belgium in the group stage. Related Story
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Team Visma Lease a Bike US rider Sepp Kuss cycles in a lone breakaway in the final ascent to win the 19th stage of the Giro d'Italia 2026 - Tour of Italy cycling race between
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Arsenal’s long road back to Europe’s top table reaches its defining night tomorrow as they face Paris St Germain in the Champions League final, chasing a first crown that would seal the renaissance engineered by Mikel Arteta. The London club held off Manchester City to claim a first Premier League crown for 22 years last week, finally shedding the ‘nearly men’ tag that had weighed on Arteta’s shoulders. With the suffocating pressure of trying to deliver the Premier League title now released, they will seek a glittering ‘bonus’ trophy that would see them surpass even the legend of Arsene Wenger’s 2003-04 Invincibles. They face a formidable challenge in Budapest against Luis Enrique’s outstanding PSG team - a rare blend of eye-catching flair, intelligence and hard graft. Just as in 2006 when they lost to Frank Rijkaard’s Barcelona in their only previous appearance in the final, Arsenal will start as slight underdogs. But no one should be in any doubt about Arsenal’s ability to deliver on the biggest of stages.They may not be to everyone’s liking with their reliance on defensive stability and set pieces, but the old chant of ‘1-0 to the Arsenal’ that marked the days of former manager George Graham is now being sung with a new sense of pride. Eight victories came by that score in the Premier League as Arsenal kept 19 clean sheets while in the Champions League they have kept a competition-high nine shutouts and conceded only six goals in 14 unbeaten games. While reigning champions PSG have been delighting the purists, Arsenal have shown scant regard for critics of their more pragmatic approach and will not be about to tamper with what has become a watertight formula tomorrow. “The first goal is going to be key,” former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson said looking ahead to the final. “PSG will be worried about going 1-0 down to Arsenal, because they’ll know they’ll be up against it - they’ll be scared of losing the first goal.” Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat by Barcelona in 2006 was followed three years later by a run to the semi-finals. After that it was as if they were making up the numbers amongst Europe’s elite with seven successive last-16 exits before five seasons when they failed to even qualify for it. Even when Arteta returned to the club as manager in 2019 it took a while for Arsenal to re-establish themselves in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. But since then the progress has been impressive. Two years ago they lost by the odd goal against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals before reaching the semi-finals last season, falling to Luis Enrique’s PSG again over two tight legs.Spaniard Arteta felt a deep sense of grievance after that bitter loss just over a year ago - claiming that defeat would make his team even more hungry to conquerEurope. Now they have the chance to set the record straight - and complete the journey from nearly men to champions of Europe. Meanwhile, Some 22,000 police officers will be deployed across France for the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal this weekend, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said yesterday. Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-0 victory last year against Inter Milan in European football’s showpiece competition saw violence, particularly on the Champs-Elysees and around the club’s Parc des Princes stadium, where the match was shown live. Nunez told online news site Brut that of the 22,000 officers on duty for tomorrow’s match, 8,000 would be in the French capital. Last year also saw a huge policing operation, with 5,400 officers mobilised in the Paris metropolitan area.
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Qatar’s beach volleyball duo of Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan qualified for the round of 16 at the Ostrava Elite16 in Czech Republic after securing their second victory of the tournament on Friday. The Qatari pair defeated France’s Elouan Chouikh and Joadel Genevieve-Gardoque in straight sets 21-15, 21-17 in their third Group Two match to continue their impressive run in the Beach Pro Tour event. Cherif and Ahmed had earlier suffered a narrow three-set defeat to American duo Taylor Crabb and Andrew Benesh in the second round after a closely fought contest that ended 21-16, 20-22, 15-11. The Qatari team had opened their campaign with a straight-sets victory over Latvia’s Bedritis and Rinkevics in the first round. Cherif and Ahmed will next face Sweden’s young duo Jacob Hölting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson in the round of 16 on Saturday. Related Story
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Lionel Messi, 38, had not previously confirmed he would play in what will be a record-breaking sixth World Cup for the Argentine superstar. (AFP) Lionel Messi will captain Argentina at the World Cup, national coach Lionel Scaloni announced on Thursday as he unveiled his 26-man squad. Messi, 38, had not previously confirmed he would play in what will be a record-breaking sixth tournament for the Argentine superstar. But it had been widely assumed the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner would again lead Argentina, four years after lifting the trophy in Qatar. As well as confirming Messi’s presence, Thursday’s announcement notably excluded Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono from the Argentina squad. Eighteen-year-old Mastantuono is considered one of the brightest prospects in Argentine football. The largest ever World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off June 11. Argentina’s first match will be five days later against Algeria in Kansas City. Messi has been at the heart of an injury scare in recent days, with his club side Inter Miami this week saying medical tests diagnosed him with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring. The Major League Soccer club had provided no clear timetable for Messi’s return after his abrupt exit from Miami’s 6-4 victory over Philadelphia in the 73rd minute on Sunday. But Scaloni had played down the seriousness of the injury this week. Center-back Cristian Romero, who suffered a knee injury last month and has not played since, was also named in the squad. The Tottenham Hotspur captain was ruled out for the remainder of the Premier League season after he was shoved into his own goalkeeper by Sunderland striker Brian Brobbey. Argentina’s roster retains 17 of the 26 players who won the title in Qatar. Young players who received call-ups include 21-year-olds Nicolas Paz and Valentin Barco. Palmeiras forward Jose Manuel Lopez, who only made his international debut last year, also features. Other notable absentees include Emiliano Buendia – currently in excellent form at Aston Villa – and Roma star Paulo Dybala. The South American giants will journey to the United States for pre-World Cup friendlies against Honduras on June 6 and Iceland on June 9. Argentina’s World Cup group also contains Austria and Jordan. Along with Messi, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa are also expected to appear in their sixth World Cups this summer. Squad Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, ENG), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille, FRA), Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid, ESP)Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate, ARG), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United, ENG), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica, POR), Leonardo Balerdi (Olympique Marseille, FRA), Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur, ENG), Facundo Medina (Marseille, FRA), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon, FRA).Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors, ARG), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami, USA), Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen, GER), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea, ENG), Alexis MacAllister (Liverpool, ENG), Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis, ESP), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg).Attackers: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, USA), Nicolas Paz (Como, ITA), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid, ESP), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, ITA), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras, BRA). Related Story
